Pilfer-proof package



Dec. 17, 1968 J. ADDIEGO P ILFER- PROOF PACKAGE Filed March 23, 1967 4 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

INVENTOR Ram. (1), FLocKs ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,416,656 PILFER-PROOF PACKAGE Joseph Addiego, Bayside, N.Y., assignor to Diamond In- ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pilfer-proof package in which a shrink film and centrally apertured panel are assembled about an article to expose the article in secured relation at the aperture.

This invention relates to -a new form of container or package.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel package which affords optimum visibility for an article being packaged, includes a substantial area upon which indicia may be applied; may be readily set up manually without requiring complicated major machinery, and which is not only tamper or pilfer proof but also may be incorporated as an integral part of other packages produced from a single sheet of paperboard or the like.

These together with other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification when taken in conjunction with the drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the novel package is produced;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, showing the initial step of erection of the blank;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the next step in the method of producing the package;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the last step involved in producing the package and illustrating diagrammatically a heat source for producing the package in its final form; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and first considering FIGS. 1 and 2, a blank is indicated generally at 10 and comprises a base element 12 produced from paperboard or any suitable material. The base element 12, in this preferred embodiment, is disclosed as being rectangular, however, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the blank may assume other peripheral outlines.

Formed intermediately of the base element 12 is an aperture 14 which is preferably rectangular. The base element 12 includes an outer surface 16 and an inner surface 18, the inner surface 18 being exposed in FIG. 1. Secured in any suitable manner on the inner surface of the base element 12 and about the entire periphery of the aperture 14 as indicated at 20, for example, is a sheet of heatshrinkable material 22. The heat-shrinkable film is preferably transparent, and may comprise a film of vinyl polymer, polyethylene, rubber-hydrochloride or any other transparent plastic which is capable of being stretched and subsequently shrunk when exposed to heat over a predetermined temperature.

The base element 12 has formed therein and extending from the aperture 14 to opposite side margins 24 and 26 3,416,656 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 ice thereof a plurality of score or fold lines 28, 28', 30, 30', 32, 32, 34, 34', and 36, .36. The score or fold lines 28, 28 and 36, 36' are colinear with the transverse margins of the aperture 14. Disposed outwardly of the score or fold lines 28, 28 is one side portion 38 of the base element 12, and disposed outwardly of the score lines 36, 36 is a second side portion 40.

The score lines 28-36 and 28'36 in conjunction with the heat shrinkable film 22 cooperate to form a polygonal cross sectioned sleeve as seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, for example. However, the tubular sleeve produced when the blank is assembled as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 can have a cross section which is triangular, elliptical or circular in cross section, for example.

In order to assemble the blank 10, the side portions 38 and 40 are adhesively secured in juxtaposed relation as indicated by means of the strips of adhesive 42 forming a tubular sleeve S as seen in FIG. 3 when the inner surfaces of the side portions 38 and 40 are secured to each other. It will be observed that the intermediate portion of the tubular sleeve S is transparent about the entire intermediate portion thereof, i.e. between portions 44 and 46 of the aperture 14. The tubular sleeve S has a cross sectional area greater than that of the article A, and as illustrated in FIG. 4 the article A is inserted manually into the tubular sleeve S, the upper and lower margins 44' and 46' will respectively be disposed between the margins 44 and 46 of the sleeve.

The assembled blanks as shown below the article A in FIG. 4 are shipped folded-flat to the ultimate producer of the packages. The packages may be conveniently pro duced at the manufacturing site for the articles A. After the articles A have been introduced into the open-ended sleeve S and the article A is disposed in the position illustrated in FIG. 5, the heat shrinkable film 22 is exposed to a source of heat H wherein the heat shrinkable film 22 is shrunk in the manner indicated at 22' in FIGS. 5 and 6, i.e. in internal contact with the article. The heat shrinkable film will taper inwardly from the inner surface of the board portion forming the sleeve S as indicated at 48 and 48'. The shrunk fihn 22' will be in intimate contact about the entire periphery of the article A as clearly seen in FIG. 6, and will immobilize the article A within the open ended tubular sleeve S and substantially all of the article can be viewed. The article A can only be removed from the package by destroying the shrunk film 22 or ripping the ends of the sleeve S.

What is claimed is:

1. A pilfer-proof package comprising a base element having inner and outer surfaces and an aperture extending through an intermediate portion thereof, said base element including opposed side margins, a shrink-film panel secured to the inner surface of said base element about the entire periphery of said aperture, said base element and shrink-film panel each respectively including opposed portions secured in juxtaposed relation and forming an open ended sleeve integral and transversely bordering said juxtaposed portions, terminal ends of said open ended sleeve comprising portions of said base element, an object having a maximum cross section less than the cross section of said sleeve telescopically received within said sleeve and disposed in exposed relation beneath said shrink-film panel, said shrink-film being shrunk inwardly beneath the outer surface of said sleeve-forming portions of said base element and into intimate engagement with said object and 3 substantially fixedly securing said object beneath said shrunk film.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 in which said aperture is rectangular.

3. A package as claimed in claim 2 in which said object has end portions terminating substantially at respective end margins of said aperture.

4. The package as claimed in claim 1 in which the terminal ends of said open ended sleeve comprise scoreline means extending from end margins of said aperture to the opposed side margins of said blank element for providing a characteristic cross section to the terminal ends of said open ended sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS U.S. Cl. X.R. 

